So my big AHA from today's amazing gathering of love energy in yoga teacher training left me with this tidbit:
It's not so much about sharing the gifts you've been given as it is sharing the YOU you've been given.
YOUR LIFE?......it's not yours!!
Nope-
It was a total gift and it's how you deepen your knowledge of Self that matters. You can embrace the gift, open the box and share yourself freely with the world because you recognize it was never yours to begin with. It would feel like cheating to hold back.
Tapping deeper and deeper into what makes YOU YOU...that space feels like more than enough. The Self is actually so connected to Source it's overflowing with competence, gratitude, love, compassion, kindness, generosity.
Dive back into Life! And watch it not only sustain you, but the bravery it took to jump results in YOU being absorbed and lifted by the Great Wave-- losing yourself and finding yourself all at once.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
The Trinity of Parenthood : I and Love, and You
Relationships serve many wonderful and challenging purposes in our lives don't they?
We are meant to love and be loved. We laugh together and hug and cry together. Oftentimes, we may sense a holiness to our interactions. If we are lucky, we are aware of the beauty in the words, the sincerity behind the selfless actions.
Even the trials and arguments bring with them opportunity to better understand another's heart, their relationship with themselves and life. As parents it can be so difficult to separate oneself from your child. I feel my teenagers experiences as overarching and imminent. The import of their trials seem life or death to me. I place having brought them into this world as my sole responsibility for raising them to be not only loving and contributing young adults but their safety and health weigh heavy on my shoulders.
This morning I'm realizing it is time.
The time is ripe to begin to Let go and Let GOD more and more as they approach the last few years of high school. It will be up to them to navigate the waters of life very soon and I need to trust that God will guide their hearts. We have held tightly to them and I pray have lived by example of how God wants us to love him with all our hearts and all our minds and all our souls and others as we love ourselves and Him.
I breathe and I know that beneath the worry and the anxiety that I need to control their actions and whereabouts a little longer, is the true knowledge that they are meant to learn and grow from EVERY ONE of Life's experiences, just like U S.
We are meant to love and be loved. We laugh together and hug and cry together. Oftentimes, we may sense a holiness to our interactions. If we are lucky, we are aware of the beauty in the words, the sincerity behind the selfless actions.
Even the trials and arguments bring with them opportunity to better understand another's heart, their relationship with themselves and life. As parents it can be so difficult to separate oneself from your child. I feel my teenagers experiences as overarching and imminent. The import of their trials seem life or death to me. I place having brought them into this world as my sole responsibility for raising them to be not only loving and contributing young adults but their safety and health weigh heavy on my shoulders.
This morning I'm realizing it is time.
The time is ripe to begin to Let go and Let GOD more and more as they approach the last few years of high school. It will be up to them to navigate the waters of life very soon and I need to trust that God will guide their hearts. We have held tightly to them and I pray have lived by example of how God wants us to love him with all our hearts and all our minds and all our souls and others as we love ourselves and Him.
I breathe and I know that beneath the worry and the anxiety that I need to control their actions and whereabouts a little longer, is the true knowledge that they are meant to learn and grow from EVERY ONE of Life's experiences, just like U S.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
When the two become O N E
Before I ever stepped foot on a mat, I almost exclusively operated from a place of non-presence. What I mean by this, is my mind was either racing to assemble what I had to say or I was trapped in the past in some sort of emotion or memory. I first read Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth in 2008 and absorbed as much as my mind was able to at that time. He speaks about the power of NOW and how this moment is all we have. True joy and authentic relationship can only occur in this very moment, where the slate is clean. I desired this but without a practice, I was unable to grasp fully how this concept could become my reality.
For creative types, using the right-brain regularly will tap into pure presence and allow you to become fully engrossed in the beauty, space and peace that is already there.
Yesterday when I read Jesus' quote in the Gospel of Thomas, "When the two become ONE" I was initially a bit confused and decided to sleep on it. On my mat this morning I found myself resisting the physicality, initially because of a rough night's sleep and overall muscle soreness. But as I began to move with breath, I dedicated my practice like a prayer to my brother Jesus and I envisioned his loving gaze.
About thirty minutes in, I was in a deep forward fold, hugging my legs close when I began to think "My top half is one with my bottom half. They are no longer separate but whole" and then as I moved with breath the concept went a bit further: "When the lower chakras of the body are joined with the upper, then the two become one". I realized that this kind of "thinking" wasn't normal mind chatter or problem solving--this was heart wisdom coming through.
I kept smiling a deep, knowing smile that emanated from my heart when ultimately, the message deepened: When Heaven and Earth are O N E. The mystics and sages taught that ALL of life is Divine-- the light overcomes the dark but the stars would not be shining brightly if not for the dark of night. Think of all the times you've had to learn from loss and pain. You wouldn't wish those on anyone and yet you might feel deep down that the depth of beauty and love experienced where you are now would be incomplete if not for those trials.
I believe that God wants to transform all of our unresolved pain. That is the message of the cross: surrender our worst fears and lies we tell ourselves of not being good enough and find that God will use these as raw material for the treasure he wants to place in our hearts and lives. My yoga and meditation practices have given me the tools to find the space to shed the tears and release the pent up emotions. When the two limbs of the cross become one: where they become one-- at the C E N T E R, our C E N T E R. The heart chakra.
I use my body to pray and thus embody my faith in the Light placed within each of us. This is one of the many reasons why I choose to share this gift that has set the Spirit of my childhood free. I trust that Life is meant to be lived NOW, fully and entirely with wide open hearts rich with mercy and grace. I fondly recall another inspired message from above,
"Even here. Especially here! We are called to release Heaven on earth by acting authentically in a way that our soul feels nourished and satisfied".
I encourage you to only take what resonates and then spend time in stillness listening to your own heart's messaging to chart the path that was drawn for you alone. And above all else, find more ways that make your soul feel nourished and satisfied.
Namaste' friends
For creative types, using the right-brain regularly will tap into pure presence and allow you to become fully engrossed in the beauty, space and peace that is already there.
Yesterday when I read Jesus' quote in the Gospel of Thomas, "When the two become ONE" I was initially a bit confused and decided to sleep on it. On my mat this morning I found myself resisting the physicality, initially because of a rough night's sleep and overall muscle soreness. But as I began to move with breath, I dedicated my practice like a prayer to my brother Jesus and I envisioned his loving gaze.
About thirty minutes in, I was in a deep forward fold, hugging my legs close when I began to think "My top half is one with my bottom half. They are no longer separate but whole" and then as I moved with breath the concept went a bit further: "When the lower chakras of the body are joined with the upper, then the two become one". I realized that this kind of "thinking" wasn't normal mind chatter or problem solving--this was heart wisdom coming through.
I kept smiling a deep, knowing smile that emanated from my heart when ultimately, the message deepened: When Heaven and Earth are O N E. The mystics and sages taught that ALL of life is Divine-- the light overcomes the dark but the stars would not be shining brightly if not for the dark of night. Think of all the times you've had to learn from loss and pain. You wouldn't wish those on anyone and yet you might feel deep down that the depth of beauty and love experienced where you are now would be incomplete if not for those trials.
I believe that God wants to transform all of our unresolved pain. That is the message of the cross: surrender our worst fears and lies we tell ourselves of not being good enough and find that God will use these as raw material for the treasure he wants to place in our hearts and lives. My yoga and meditation practices have given me the tools to find the space to shed the tears and release the pent up emotions. When the two limbs of the cross become one: where they become one-- at the C E N T E R, our C E N T E R. The heart chakra.
I use my body to pray and thus embody my faith in the Light placed within each of us. This is one of the many reasons why I choose to share this gift that has set the Spirit of my childhood free. I trust that Life is meant to be lived NOW, fully and entirely with wide open hearts rich with mercy and grace. I fondly recall another inspired message from above,
"Even here. Especially here! We are called to release Heaven on earth by acting authentically in a way that our soul feels nourished and satisfied".
I encourage you to only take what resonates and then spend time in stillness listening to your own heart's messaging to chart the path that was drawn for you alone. And above all else, find more ways that make your soul feel nourished and satisfied.
Namaste' friends
Thursday, July 31, 2014
mirroring
you in prison green garb
gazing back at me softly with misty eyes
i see love and admiration
appreciation mixed with a bit of awe
i feel warmth spread across my face and neck, down my chest into my belly
i know this is gods' love for me
this is how he sees me
with your eyes you show me how God sees me
he wants me to know in my bones that i am
good
i am enough
i am loved unconditionally and forgiven all my shortcomings
i desire to spread this incredible almost indescribable feeling to others
i want to gaze in their eyes in a way that they leave full
overflowing even
knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that you, the God of the universe
want union with each and every one of us
until there is no separation
we are One with the Divine creator
and One another
gazing back at me softly with misty eyes
i see love and admiration
appreciation mixed with a bit of awe
i feel warmth spread across my face and neck, down my chest into my belly
i know this is gods' love for me
this is how he sees me
with your eyes you show me how God sees me
he wants me to know in my bones that i am
good
i am enough
i am loved unconditionally and forgiven all my shortcomings
i desire to spread this incredible almost indescribable feeling to others
i want to gaze in their eyes in a way that they leave full
overflowing even
knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that you, the God of the universe
want union with each and every one of us
until there is no separation
we are One with the Divine creator
and One another
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
drowning voices
she speaks
but no one listens
she cries in the night
the owls hoot their reply
her feminine truth remains lodged
in her throat
like a jumble of linguistic jargon
drowning
in warm spittle
her wisdom buried
beneath molten guile and disguised agenda
the musty earth protecting a cauldron
of nurtured secrets
birthing and vomiting at once
the Real woman
clutching her boldness
her complexity
frighteningly lovely
her magic stemming
from infinite depths
and her circle of sisters
she was incomplete,
a proliferating fetus of
cells enmeshed in purity and goodness
multiplying at warp speed
awaiting God's perfect timing
to arrive
men revere her
fluid words
they carry prudence
and unlikely humility
there!
moses lying in the basket
floating downstream in muddy waters
his cries gaining strength
the princess drawing him out
his vocal chords beginning to resonate
a universal hopefulness
and red-blooded blessing
to live and speak
and drown only
that which must die
but no one listens
she cries in the night
the owls hoot their reply
her feminine truth remains lodged
in her throat
like a jumble of linguistic jargon
drowning
in warm spittle
her wisdom buried
beneath molten guile and disguised agenda
the musty earth protecting a cauldron
of nurtured secrets
birthing and vomiting at once
the Real woman
clutching her boldness
her complexity
frighteningly lovely
her magic stemming
from infinite depths
and her circle of sisters
she was incomplete,
a proliferating fetus of
cells enmeshed in purity and goodness
multiplying at warp speed
awaiting God's perfect timing
to arrive
men revere her
fluid words
they carry prudence
and unlikely humility
there!
moses lying in the basket
floating downstream in muddy waters
his cries gaining strength
the princess drawing him out
his vocal chords beginning to resonate
a universal hopefulness
and red-blooded blessing
to live and speak
and drown only
that which must die
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
mama nature
again and again spongy mat absorbs surrendered tears and sweat
in equal measure
mother gaia at work
balancing excess or trapped energy
transmuting calm
the frequency of the shaking leaves
in trees
applauding life,
my life
in equal measure
mother gaia at work
balancing excess or trapped energy
transmuting calm
the frequency of the shaking leaves
in trees
applauding life,
my life
Monday, July 28, 2014
I See JESUS in the lotus everyday
Yoga: union of mind, body and spirit. I feel better connected to God and others when I operate out of a place of wholeness and have recently had a MAJOR aha! There must be Divinity in ALL of me-- my body has an innate wisdom to communicate, I use my mind to learn and problem solve and my heart/spirit guides me in ways I can trust but that are not always readily apparent. One important message that came through on my mat recently was "I have found a place of paradox where I can live peaceably. It is there that I am confident I am enough, I know enough and my unique gifts are enough. AND YET, I actually know very little of the larger reality at work.
For most of my 48 years I have ignored the communications generated by my belly pains, tears, goosebumps, hangovers and tiredness...forging ahead with an abundance of ice cream, margaritas and pasta! It seems that after 10 years of regular yoga and meditation practice, I have been regularly receiving communication from the wisdom placed in my physical body. What a revelation that my spirit isnt to be revered above my mind and body. What a confirmation from my main man, JC, that He is the Truth-- Divinity and Humanity co-existing in one being. Herein, lies one of the many similarities between yogic philosophy and Jesus's teachings, but somehow history has separated the two. And not just separated but much of traditional, fundamental Christianity will point to yoga's roots in Hinduism as satanic. It is one of my missions in life to work so that people who are intimidated by trying yoga at a local studio can experience embodying the Divine alive inside each and every one of us. The obvious space is in the local churches!!
I am journeying toward equanimity and respect for each.
I love my body and I love my spirit but there remains judgment about the mind. For many of my students, it seems that most of their criticism is toward their body. As I get older, my mind is challenging me with memory issues and focus. However, I initially pursued a meditation practice to aid in this holistically nearly three years ago and that step was the first in me finding my true calling: teaching yoga and meditation to the incarcerated and now other underserved populations.
Alan Watts says that 'the loss of paradoxical thinking is the great blindness of our civilization' and Father Richard Rohr goes on to say "which is what many of us believe happened when we repressed the feminine side of our lives as the inferior side. It was a loss of subtlety, discrimination, and capacity for complementarity." Each of us houses masculine and feminine energies. May the gentle, compassionate and interconnected in each of us arise and flourish.
For most of my 48 years I have ignored the communications generated by my belly pains, tears, goosebumps, hangovers and tiredness...forging ahead with an abundance of ice cream, margaritas and pasta! It seems that after 10 years of regular yoga and meditation practice, I have been regularly receiving communication from the wisdom placed in my physical body. What a revelation that my spirit isnt to be revered above my mind and body. What a confirmation from my main man, JC, that He is the Truth-- Divinity and Humanity co-existing in one being. Herein, lies one of the many similarities between yogic philosophy and Jesus's teachings, but somehow history has separated the two. And not just separated but much of traditional, fundamental Christianity will point to yoga's roots in Hinduism as satanic. It is one of my missions in life to work so that people who are intimidated by trying yoga at a local studio can experience embodying the Divine alive inside each and every one of us. The obvious space is in the local churches!!
I am journeying toward equanimity and respect for each.
I love my body and I love my spirit but there remains judgment about the mind. For many of my students, it seems that most of their criticism is toward their body. As I get older, my mind is challenging me with memory issues and focus. However, I initially pursued a meditation practice to aid in this holistically nearly three years ago and that step was the first in me finding my true calling: teaching yoga and meditation to the incarcerated and now other underserved populations.
Alan Watts says that 'the loss of paradoxical thinking is the great blindness of our civilization' and Father Richard Rohr goes on to say "which is what many of us believe happened when we repressed the feminine side of our lives as the inferior side. It was a loss of subtlety, discrimination, and capacity for complementarity." Each of us houses masculine and feminine energies. May the gentle, compassionate and interconnected in each of us arise and flourish.
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